RABIES VACCINE INFORMATION

Despite the Veterinary Assoc. policy
which this site backed, many vets still insist on "sticking it" to dogs and
their owners. Learn about adverse reactions to RABIES shots, right here, right now.

Note: Scroll down for Vaccine Lawsuit Info

RABIES CHALLENGE FUND $20,000 MATCHING PLEDGE

May 2007 | Two anonymous donors have generously pledged to match all donations of
$100 or more to The Rabies Challenge Fund up to
$20,000 from May 1st through November 1st. The Fund
is more than halfway towards reaching its immediate
goal of $177,000 to cover the two concurrent
challenge studies’ first year expenses so the
research can begin.

The donors state that, “We are unabashed dog
lovers and will do anything in our power to promote
their health, longevity and overall well-being. That
is the reason we have established a $20,000 matching
gift program for the Rabies Challenge Fund. If you
believe, as we do and as W. Jean Dodds, DVM, has
stated, that “Rabies is the vaccine most associated
with adverse reactions because it’s so potent”, then
please support this initiative, particularly now so
that your $100.00 or more donation will be doubled.”

The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust is a 501
(c) (3) tax-exemption organization founded by pet
vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L. Christine of
Maine in 2005 to finance 5 and 7 year long-term
duration of immunity challenge studies on the canine
rabies vaccine. Two world-renowned giants of
veterinary vaccine research -- Dr. W. Jean Dodds of
Hemopet and Co-Trustee of The Rabies Challenge Fund
and Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of
Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine -- have
volunteered their time to ensure this important
research is conducted in the United States. The
vaccine studies will be performed by Dr. Schultz at
the University of Wisconsin according to USDA
vaccine licensing requirements.

The concurrent vaccine studies will determine the
duration of immunity conveyed by the canine rabies
vaccine, with the goal of extending the
state-mandated interval for boosters to 5, and then
to 7 years. Scientific data suggest that vaccinating
dogs against rabies every three years, as most
states require, is unnecessary. Studies have shown
the duration of protective immunity as measured by
serum antibody titers against rabies virus to
persist up to seven years post-vaccination, and
results of a 1992 French challenge study led by
Michel Aubert demonstrated dogs were immune to
rabies five years after vaccination.

Researchers
believe the rabies vaccine can cause adverse
reactions in animals and concur that it should not
be given more often than is necessary to maintain
immunity. Adverse reactions to
rabies vaccination
can include autoimmune diseases affecting the
thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver,
bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic
shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites.

Fund founder and Co-Trustee, Kris Christine, noted
that, "This generous $20,000 matching pledge
presents pet owners with a wonderful opportunity to
double their contributions of $100 or more to help
get the studies underway as soon as possible. The
USDA does not require manufacturers to conduct
long-term duration of immunity studies on canine
vaccines, so rabies immunization laws reflect the
minimum, not the maximum time for which vaccination
confers immunity. Vaccine manufacturers lack the
financial incentives to conduct this research, thus
it is up to concerned pet owners to fund these
studies to determine whether state laws require
their dogs to be over vaccinated against rabies as
current scientific data indicates."

More information on The Rabies Challenge Fund and
the concurrent 5 and 7 year challenge studies it
will finance can be found at the fund’s website
designed by volunteer Andrea Brin at:
www.RabiesChallengeFund.org

November 2006

World-Famous Scientists Donate Services to

The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust

Big news for The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust: thanks to graphic designer, Andrea Brin, it now has its own
website. You'll see the big news is that Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine has volunteered his time to conduct the 5 and 7 year canine rabies challenge studies. If you recall, Dr.
Schultz's research forms part of the scientific base for the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 and 2006 Canine Vaccine Guidelines. The December 2006/January 2007 (Vol. 8,
Issue 6) Animal Wellness Magazine features an article by Ann Brightman on the RCF entitled, How Often Does He REALLY Need a Rabies Shot?

Since last year, W. Jean Dodds, of Hemopet and
Co-Trustee of The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust,
and her staff have donated their time to ensure these vital
studies are conducted for the benefit of our canine
companions.

Two world-renowned giants of veterinary vaccine research -- Dr. W. Jean Dodds of
Hemopet and Co-Trustee of The Rabies Challenge Fund and Dr. Ronald Schultz of
the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine --
have volunteered their time to ensure that critical 5 and 7 year
rabies challenge studies are conducted in the United States.
The studies are to be financed by The Rabies Challenge Fund
Charitable Trust, a tax-exemption organization
founded by pet vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L. Christine of Maine in 2005, and will be performed by Dr. Schultz at the University of Wisconsin.
The University has waived its usual 48% overhead fee for these studies.

The concurrent challenge studies will determine the
duration of immunity conveyed by the canine rabies vaccine, with
the goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters
to 5, and then to 7 years. According to Dr. Dodds, “This is one of the most important projects in veterinary medicine. It
will benefit all dogs by providing evidence that protection from
rabies vaccination lasts at least 5 years, thereby avoiding
unnecessary revaccination with its attendant risk of
debilitating adverse reactions. "

Scientific data indicate that vaccinating dogs against rabies
every three years, as most states require, is unnecessary.
Studies have shown the duration of protective immunity as
measured by serum antibody titers against rabies virus to
persist for seven years post-vaccination, and results of a 1992
French challenge study led by Michel Aubert demonstrated dogs
were immune to rabies five years after vaccination.
Researchers
believe the rabies vaccine causes the most and worst adverse
reactions in animals and concur that it should not be given more
often than is necessary to maintain immunity.
Adverse reactions to rabies vaccination can include autoimmune
diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin,
kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic
shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at
injection sites.

Dr. Schultz states that “showing
that a vaccine for rabies can provide 5 or preferably 7 years of
immunity would have great significance not only in controlling
rabies but more importantly in reducing the adverse vaccine
reactions that can occur in dogs and cats after vaccination."

To date, the
following breed clubs, along with many pet owners, trainers,
breeders, and kennel owners have contributed to The Rabies
Challenge Fund:

Akita Club of America
American Shih Tzu Club
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of NashobaValley
BerneseMountain Club of SE Wisconsin
CapitalCity Cocker Club
Chesapeake, Virginia Dog Fanciers Association
Collie Club of Georgia
Dog Agility Racing Team of Chino
Evergreen Empire Manchester Terrier Fanciers
GreatRiver Stockdog Club
Heart of Minnesota Great Dane Club
Kennel Club of Buffalo

From The Editor: For all who ever
doubted they could achieve or change anything, here’s the proof. People
like Kris Christine and Jean Townsend “Always for George, Always for the Rimadyl dogs” prove
that one person can move a mountain when they create a snowball. Our
deepest gratitude to all who work so hard to protect our best friends!
This is one of the most important advances in DogCare during the last
two decades. Chris can be contacted at LedgeSpring@lincoln.midcoast.com

The Rabies Challenge Fund

World-renowned vaccine research scientist and practicing
veterinary clinician, Dr. W. Jean Dodds of California, and pet vaccine
disclosure advocate, Kris L. Christine of Maine, have established The
Rabies Challenge Fund to raise money to fund concurrent 5 and 7 year
rabies vaccine challenge studies in the United States.

In addition to the challenge studies, the fund will finance a study of
the adjuvants used in veterinary rabies vaccines and establish a rabies
vaccine adverse reaction reporting system.

Rabies vaccination is the one immunization required by law across the
country for domestic dogs and cats, and researchers believe this vaccine
causes the most and worst adverse reactions in animals. According to the
August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine, a research study by M.
Vascellari and colleagues documents cancerous tumors in dogs at the
presumed injection sites of rabies vaccinations.

Although pets used to be vaccinated yearly for rabies, the majority of
state protocols now require re-vaccination every three years. There are
scientific data indicating that vaccinating dogs against rabies every
three years is unnecessary. Results of Michel Aubert’s French challenge
study published in 1992 demonstrated that dogs were immune to a rabies
challenge 5 years after vaccination and the serological studies of Dr.
Ronald Schultz (Professor and Chair of the Department of Patho-biological
Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine)
have shown that dogs have antibody titer counts at levels known to
confer immunity 7 years after vaccination for rabies. The Rabies
Challenge Fund has been founded to improve the safety of rabies vaccines
and to determine, by challenge, if they confer immunity for 5 or 7
years.

The Rabies Challenge Fund’s first official sponsors are Deb Odom
(Florida) and Dawn Turner (Arizona), who have committed to donating a
portion of the proceeds from the sale of their pet vaccine informed
consent posters and informational flyers.

Rabies is among the antigenically strongest vaccines, containing potent
adjuvants to bolster the immune response. Rabies vaccines are documented
to elicit severe and even fatal adverse reactions. According to Dr.
Dodds, “giving them more often than truly needed is unwise, unnecessary,
and can be unsafe.” She further states, “To date, most states require
rabies vaccination every three years, but some states still require
annual rabies revaccination, even though the USDA licenses these
vaccines for three years”.

Dr. Dodds received the D.V.M. degree with honors in 1964 from the
Ontario Veterinary College, University of Toronto. In 1965 she joined
the New York State Health Department in Albany and began comparative
studies of animals with inherited and acquired bleeding diseases. Her
position there began as a Research Scientist and culminated as the chief
of Laboratory of Hematology at the Wadsworth Center. In 1980 she also
became Executive Director of the New York State Council on Human Blood
and Transfusion Services. This work continued full-time until 1986 when
she moved to Southern California to establish Hemopet, the first
non-profit national blood bank program for animals.

“Certainly, veterinarians are aware of the adverse reactions that can
occur after rabies and other vaccinations in dogs and cats,” Dodds said.
“The public is the body most motivated to address the issues here,
because it is some of their beloved companions that have suffered by the
existing regulations.”

Other beneficial research to be financed by The Rabies Challenge Fund
will be a safety study of adjuvants used to enhance the immune response
in veterinary rabies vaccines. Some pet owners, like Kris Christine,
believe the adjuvants may cause more adverse reactions than the actual
vaccine -- her own dog developed a malignant mast cell tumor at the site
of a rabies shot. “Unlike human vaccines where all adjuvants are
required to be the same, there is no such standardization in veterinary
medicine,” Christine said. “Hopefully, this study can be completed
before the five and seven years of the parallel challenge studies, to
make vaccines safer for our precious canine companions.”

Kerry Blue Foundation Donates $5,000 to Rabies
Challenge Fund

The Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation (http://www.kerryblues.info)
has generously donated $5,000 to The Rabies Challenge Fund, which was
established to raise money to finance concurrent 5 and 7 year rabies
vaccine challenge studies in the United States. It is spearheaded by
world-renowned vaccine research scientist and practicing veterinary
clinician, Dr. W. Jean Dodds of California, and pet vaccine disclosure
advocate, Kris L. Christine of Maine. The Kerry Blue donation was
announced by the Foundation’s President, John Van den Bergh.

“As an educational organization, we are happy to be able to fund a study
that will finally shed some light on vaccination research,” says Van den
Bergh. He believes that by supporting The Rabies Challenge study, “We
will have the ammunition to talk to legislators to bring the law in line
with science.”

TheDogPlace.org has made a pledge for
ongoing support and we hope you will too!

Pet Vaccine Lawsuit

It's official -- the law firm of the Chicago law firm of
Childress Duffy Goldblatt, Ltd.

petvaccine@childresslaw.net 312-494-0200 -- attorneys Roy R. Brandys and John Sawin --
have posted an announcement on their website about the NATIONAL pet
vaccine class action lawsuit that their firm is undertaking at: www.childresslaw.net/CM/Custom/Custom52.asp "arising from the misrepresentation
of the need for vaccinations for your pets."

Anyone wishing to have a copy of either the 1992 French challenge study
data from a research team led by Michel Aubert in which dogs were
demonstrated to be immune to a rabies challenge 5 years after
vaccination, or Vascellari's study which documented cancerous tumors in
dogs at presumed injection sites of rabies vaccine, please e-mail me. Kris Christine
LedgeSpring@lincoln.midcoast.com

Editor’s Note: Please, go to the Rabies Challenge Fund website and
DONATE NOW!!! TheDogPlace.org has worked with Kris for many years as she
single-handedly raised awareness, testified before state and local
veterinary associations and lawmakers, and succeeded in getting some of
the most highly respected vets and veterinary universities on board.